Google and Microsoft Ads
The fastest channel to switch on, and the only one in this table with a documented end-to-end case: $2,800 of spend produced 43 booked calls at $65 each, seven clients, and $17,500 of first-month revenue — a 6.25× return.
Cost to acquire$65–$150
Close rate14–18%
Per booked discovery call, not per client. Est · Estimate
Where it fails
That case had a defined niche, a high-converting landing page and a strong call process. Without all three the same spend buys calls that never close. Close rates here sit around 16%, well below referrals.
Timing and fit
- Time before reliable flowHorizonDays, once the landing page converts
- Best suited toBest forExecutive and B2B niches with real search intent
2 channels cost less than this one: Referrals, Meta Ads. Cost is not the only axis, but it is the one most easily ignored when a channel feels productive.
Against every other channel
- ReferralsEvery niche, at every stageCost$0–$50Close rate40–70%
- LinkedInBusiness, executive, leadership and career coachingCost$50–$200Close rate—
- InstagramLife, health, relationship and wellness coachingCost$50–$200Close rate—
- YouTubeThought leadership, executive and high-ticket coachingCost$50–$200Close rate—
- Podcast appearancesCoaches with a specific, articulable point of viewCost$100–$300Close rate30–50%
- Paid directoriesCoaches without an audience who need volume nowCost$200–$600Close rate—
- Meta AdsConsumer niches with a strong lead magnetCost$30–$80Close rate—
- Cold emailHyper-personalised B2B outreach onlyCost$50–$300Close rate0–1%